John K. Baker, the man who threatened to shoot township officials and school children last week, waived his right to a preliminary hearing yesterday and is being held over for trial.

Baker, who is being held at the Allegheny County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bond, was arrested twice last week. He is charged with three counts of terroristic threats and one count of harassment.

Baker's threats, the result of a zoning dispute with township officials, culminated in a lockdown of all township schools on May 20. Township officials say he is illegally operating a junkyard at his home.

No trial date has been set.

SPRINGDALE: Teacher charged

William H. Doyle II , a sixth-grade teacher at Colfax Upper Elementary School in the Allegheny Valley School District, has been arrested after a 15-year-old district student said he had sex with her.

Doyle, the son of former school board member William H. Doyle, was arrested in the principal's office at the elementary school in Springdale on Tuesday during school hours.

The teen-ager worked as a statistician for one of the teams that Doyle coached, officials said. Doyle is an assistant baseball and football coach in the district.

Allegheny Valley School Superintendent Ronald J. Wasilak said yesterday that he plans to send a letter to Doyle offering to hold an informal hearing on his job status.

Wasilak said he was not aware of the allegations against Doyle until Tuesday, when county police and Harmar police called him to say that Doyle would be arrested shortly.

Harmar police said the girl's parents reported the incident to them on April 24.

SHALER AREA SCHOOLS: Tax rate discussed

Superintendent Donald Lee is recommending that the school board maintain its current tax rate of 20.32 mills.

During a special budget meeting last night, Lee said that maintaining the rate would net the district an additional $422,991 thanks to an increase in property values. The increase would bring the board to within about $75,000 of balancing its preliminary budget.

Board members said they would continue reviewing the proposed budget, looking for areas to trim before adopting a final budget June 19.

ERIE: 2nd child-dunking incident

A man was arrested for allegedly dunking a boy in cold Lake Erie waters off Presque Isle on Monday, the second time in a year rangers have intervened in such an incident.

A group of beach-goers confronted the man, who was repeatedly dunking the 8-year-old son of his girlfriend in 59-degree water, after the boy began screaming, authorities said.

Albert Caralli, 25, who has a post office box in Harrison City, was charged with multiple counts including simple assault and endangering the welfare of children.

"When the lifeguard finally got them out of the water, the kid was shaking, rocking back and forth," said Chris Tirak, who was on the beach.

Caralli was calling the boy a baby and other names, Tirak said.

Caralli was held in Erie County Prison on $10,000 bond.

Earlier this year, Mark Bartlebaugh of Millcreek was sentenced to as many as 4 1/2 years in prison for dunking his girlfriend's son in the water while ordering the boy to "toughen up."

Bartlebaugh pleaded guilty in January to child endangerment, simple assault and related offenses.